The conventional process by which the general public currently builds, remodels, repairs or reconstructs a home involves a sequence of logically related activities engaging the advice and assistance of various professional and technical experts such as consultants, designers, builders, developers, and realtors. There are many permutations to a common theme. Generally, these processes can be summarized in terms of five major events.
Conceptualize. The first step is to conceive a physical feature or aspect of a home that would satisfy one or more existing or future needs. For example, an avid swimmer might learn through casual conversation that it costs less to build a swimming pool than to join a private country club, or that it costs less to build a pool than he/she might have otherwise imagined. In either case, the person has conceptualized a swimming pool for his/her home.
Plan and Program. Planning has two parts. Part one is a process by which the feasibility of a person's concept is analyzed and determined. For example, a person might conceive the need for a swimming pool but, after close examination with a pool contractor, determine that the cost could be prohibitively higher than expected if the project involves blasting. Part two of planning is the process of determining the general activities, time frames, and approximate costs for potentially feasible concepts. Programming is the process of assigning these costs to activities and time frames associated with implementing the concept, thus calculating various financial scenarios.
Inventory and Categorize Supply. Under conventional practices, it is necessary to develop sufficient information about a plan in order to solicit and procure the services of professional designers, developers, and builders. The amount of information contained in the scope of work varies depending on how these services are to be packaged, but generally, it contains enough information with which a party can make a contractual offer. For example, the scope of work for a planned swimming pool might contain the location of the property, goal for the budget, and a listing of associated amenities such as a pool house and spa.
Design. A designer works with a homeowner to develop the planned concept into detailed drawings and specifications used to physically construct the planned concept in accordance with state and local codes. There are many processes used to design homes but the essence of home design is an iterative process that starts with a designer identifying the needs from which a concept was created. The designer then translates this information into plan drawings that theoretically satisfy the needs. The person studies the plans, perhaps engaging other family members or friends, and provides feedback to the designer. The designer then modifies the plans whereupon the person then studies the modified plans and so on. The process continues until the person is satisfied that the design meets his/her needs. With homes, the design process can be time consuming and costly because the designer is usually compelled to satisfy a wide and diverse range of needs.
Budget and Aggregate Prices. A designer normally calculates a plan budget, aggregating prices, with every iteration of the design process. This is normally done using one of two methods: (1) calculating aggregate cost estimates based on the designer's historical data such as price per square foot for garage; or (2) compiling detailed cost estimates using the drawings, specifications, and published data.
The financing of a home plan from a bank requires a “bankable” cost estimate. These can be generated in two ways: (1) soliciting and obtaining firm bid prices from builders and construction contractors based on design documents; or (2) compiling detailed cost estimates from professional cost estimators guaranteeing calculations.
Thus, remodeling, repairing or reconstructing a home has traditionally involved a sequence of logically related activities engaging the advice and assistance of various professional and technical experts such as consultants. Such an approach, with its repetitive revisions and recalculations, is time consuming and can be quite expensive. For example, the homeowner may desire numerous estimates to determine which various amenities to include in a home, which building materials to have used, etc. In such a case, the designer would have to perform numerous recalculations, for which the homeowner would have to pay.
What is desired, therefore, is a system which reduces the time and cost required to conceive, plan and program, inventory and categorize supply for, design, budget and aggregate prices for, and produce documents and information essential for, the construction, remodeling, repair or reconstruction of a home, which automates much of the labor required to conceive, plan and program, inventory and categorize supply for, design, budget and aggregate prices for, and produce documents and information essential for, the construction, remodeling, repair or reconstruction of a home, which allows homeowners to research and interact with consultants, designers, builders and contractors of homes, and which provides for automated and efficient management of the construction, remodeling, repair or reconstruction of a home.